Dad?
by HaganeNoWriter
Summary: Van Hohenheim left his family in search of a way to gain his mortality back. Or did he? What if he never left his wife and sons on their own? How would the well-known reality be changed? A story about how it would be like if Edward and Alphonse didn't have to grow up without a father in their lives. Slight AU. Set in Brotherhood.


**A/N: HEY GUYS! SO SORRY FOR THE LACK OF UPDATES! My laptop literally died. I had to wait to get a new one, so that's why I couldn't update. Srry... Anyway, I got this idea yesterday, and I've been writing this whenever I've had the time to. Please tell me if it's any good. ^^ ANYWAY, READ ZE STORY! XD**

Hohenheim thought back to the conversation he had with his wife the previous night. He was leaving his wife and children to find a way to lose his immortality. He wanted so desperately to be able to grow old and die with his family. That was what he craved most. He just wanted to be able to hold his children without them having the hands of a monster upon them. After that dreaded conversation, he found himself doubting his decision, but he told himself that this was the best way. He carried on.

"Trisha, don't tell the children about my body." Hohenheim pleaded.

"Sure." That was Trisha's only response. She completely understood why he was doing what he was doing. Given, she may not completely like what he wanted to do, but she was always to support him in whatever he does.

"Don't you want to say goodbye to them?" She asked softly. Hohenheim froze. He hadn't thought of that. How would they react if he told them he was leaving? His sons probably wouldn't completely understand what he was doing, since they were so young, but he couldn't stand to see their faces if he told them.

"If I see their faces, I'll…" He trailed off, knowing his wife would understand how hard that would be. He loved his family more than anything. Leaving them is the hardest thing he'll ever have to do.

"You blockhead. It's okay if you cry." Trisha said with a smile. Trisha handed Hohenheim his suitcase. Then, she noticed a flash of gold down the hall. Hohenheim inhaled sharply. His sons. His beautiful little boys. Edward and Alphonse. Alphonse was clinging to Edward's shirt, while both of them seemed to to be desperately trying to stay awake. Trisha walked over to them.

"Hey, why are you two up so early?" Trisha asked their sons.

"Al says he needs to go potty." Edward answered sleepily, through a yawn.

"Oh, so you were looking after Al." Trisha sank down to his level, and ran her hand through his hair. He smiled at the praise.

"Thank you, Ed." They boys then noticed their father standing by the door, suitcase in hand, and dressed for the weather outside. Hohenheim closed his eyes, trying his best to compose himself, and not cry in front of his children. When he was sure no tears would come forth, he turned, and grasped the knob.

"Where are you going, Dad?" Edward asked curiously, taking a step toward his father. Hohenheim grimaced and froze where he was.

"Away, Ed." A tone of sadness rang through the room.

"Why?" The innocent tone reached Hohenheim's ears, making the experience that much more painful for him.

"You're too young to understand, but because I love you and your brother." This puzzled Edward. His father was right. He didn't understand.

"If you love us then why are you leaving?" Edward's childish voice was slowly growing more concerned. He walked closer to Hohenheim.

"There's something that I have to do."

"Then let me help you. Mom's always saying how I'm smart like you, so I could help." Hohenheim had to admire his son's confidence, but there's nothing a little kid like him can do.

"Edward, the things I have to do are dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt." Edward listened to his father's soft voice, but that didn't waver his determination to help his father. Edward ran up to his father, and wrapped his arms like a vice around Hohenheim's leg, since he wasn't tall enough to reach anything else. This shocked Hohenheim. He felt like all the blood in his veins freeze when he saw tears forming in his eldest son's eyes.

Meanwhile, Trisha and Alphonse simply stood there. Trisha's heart breaking at the sight of her son begging his father to stay. Alphonse was simply confused. He was still very tired, and wasn't quite comprehending what his older brother was saying.

Tears now ran freely down Edward's cheeks. he looked up at his father's face, pleading him to stay. Eventually, Hohenheim couldn't take it anymore. How could he have been so selfish? He now realized that he should stay and be with his family while his kids were still growing up. He crouched to Edward's level, and tightly hugged him.

"Thank you, Ed. Maybe you can help me. I'm staying." These words both pleased and saddened Trisha. As happy as she was that he was staying, what about his dream of becoming normal? She noticed her husband give her a look that said 'I'll explain later.'

* * *

Hohenheim did explain. He told his wife that he had realized something. If he leaves now, he won't know when he would return. He would miss seeing his children grow and mature. Learn new things and discovering their role in life. He wouldn't miss that for the world.

He realized that what he was doing was unfair to his wife. Taking care of two boys on her own? That's a tall order for anyone. It wasn't fair that he was pinning the responsibility onto her to chase after his own dreams. As for where he stands with returning to normal, he would find a way, home with his family. Besides, who knows? He might take Ed up on his offer to help him.

He and his wife made an agreement that he would chase after mortality after both edward and Alphonse had left the house. Besides, Trisha might want to come with him. Right now she was strapped down with maternal responsibilities. When that was gone, they could experience new things together.

* * *

The four of them lived together as a family. All seemed perfect as Hohenheim and Trisha watched their sons mature together. Hohenheim even nearly forgot about his goal until Edward had approached him about it.

'What bout what you needed to do?' Edward had asked him. He replied with 'I can handle it now. Just worry about yourself and your brother.'

Hohenheim had caught both Edward and Alphonse in his study multiple times. Every time, they had their noses stuck in his alchemy books. It seems that they really did take after their father. It was a real shock when he walked in the room during Edward's first transmutation. A perfectly drawn circle was written in chalk on the floor, and the floorboards warped into the shape of a duck. Trisha was praising them when Edward noticed him standing the doorway. He walked over to him and asked a that made him crack a smile.

"Dad, can you teach us more?" That began the obsession with a science that seemed like magic.

* * *

However, the peace was short lived. Just a few months later, Trisha became gravely ill, and passed away due to an epidemic that swept through the East. By the time Hohenheim had taken her to a doctor, it was already too late. Trisha was just too weak, and she passed from this world.

The funeral had been small. Hohenheim, Edward, Alphonse, Pinako, Winry, and a few family friends had shown, each saying their goodbyes. This devastated their small family. Trisha was always better with their sons, and was the strength that kept Hohenheim moving. Now, she was gone, and he was left to take care of two young children by himself. They boys and him were wearing their best clothes, and a photograph was grasped in Hohenheim's hand. The one and only picture he had ever taken with the four of them.

His eyes looked down to his sons, who were standing close to him. Alphonse was standing slightly behind Edward, grasping his shirt and openly sobbing. Edward, on the other hand, was simply staring at the headstone with hazy eyes, not quite grasping that their mother was actually gone.

People looked at them in pity and remorse. It was tough for young children to lose a parent. Everyone knew Trisha was a fantastic mother, that she would give up anything for the sake of her sons. She was a person to admire. She was kind, but stern when she needed to be. Never violent, though. She never believed in taking physical actions against her children when they'd done wrong. She's simply tell them how disappointed she is in them, and they'd obey out of guilt of upsetting their mother. It's a rare occurrence when young children knew and appreciated how much their parents do for them. Well, Edward had been considered a prodigy after all.

After the funeral was over, Hohenheim and his sons still lingered at the headstone. their father had taken a seat in front of the stone, facing the engraving, while Alphonse slept on his lap. Edward stood beside, with that same blank stare. To be honest, Edward was starting to concern him. Suddenly, Edward spoke.

"I wonder if we can bring Mom back…" Edward pondered seriously. A chill ran down his father's spine.

"What do you mean, Ed?" He asked, dead serious.

"You and Mom have always told me how talented I am with alchemy. Maybe I can-"

"No, Ed!" His father snapped quietly, trying to avoid waking Alphonse up. His attempt succeeded. Alphonse slept on.

"But maybe there's-"

"No. That is a Taboo. It's forbidden alchemy. I don't want my son getting involved with that." His voice was a harsh whisper. Then, his son said something that made him want to cry, right then and there.

"Don't you love Mom anymore?"

"Of course I do, but she wouldn't want anybody making that sacrifice for her."

"She was always proud of me when I perform alchemy. Why would this be any different? Wouldn't she be happy?"

"I don't know if she's be happy or not, but I most certainly am not. Don't ever speak of this again." Edward still had the blank stare, but his eyes were a little less hazy than before. Hohenheim lifted Alphonse, and carried him with his head resting on his shoulder. With his other arm, he reached out to Edward.

"Let's go home." Edward gently grasped the larger hand, and they walked home together.

* * *

A few years later, life, as it seemed, had returned to normal. The boys were attending school, and Edward hadn't mentioned the Taboo since the funeral. This was good, maybe he had gotten that ridiculous idea out of his head? Wrong.

One summer night, all was quiet in the house. edward and Alphonse were sleeping, and Hohenheim was on the way to slumber as well. Eventually, he gave in the the drowsiness, and fell asleep. Then, Edward made his move. When he was sure his father was asleep, he crept downstairs as quietly as he could, and descended down the stairs to the basement. All over the floor and desks were books and research journals stacked up and messily placed. he grabbed one of them in particular; his own research journal. He flipped to a page with an incredibly complex circle, and began to copy the same circle on the stone floor with chalk. Once he was done, he added the of the ingredients he had slowly collected and pickpocketed at the market. He added them together in a large pan. Finally, he grabbed a knife, and sliced a slit in his finger, and allowed the blood to add to the ingredients.

At last, he was really going to do it. He was actually going to resurrect his mother. He was going to have a full family again.

He lowered his hands onto the outer rim of the circle, and let the adrenaline rush through him and into the matrix. The complex design glowed an electric blue, sparks of alchemic energy sparking. Then, it began. The atmosphere became heavy and dark, and a bad feeling sank in Edward's stomach. Black appendages rose from the circle, and a single eye opened. The black limbs grasped Edward, and the screaming began.

* * *

Van Hohenheim woke with a jolt. He had heard one of his son's screaming. Also, the atmosphere wasn't right. He felt that something had gone horribly wrong. How right he was. Another scream broke through the silence, coming from the basement. He could identify whose it was now. Edward. She tore off the sheets, and ran as fast as he could down the steps. He could see flashes of blue and violet light. His widened. Did Edward…?

He reached the bottom of the stairs, and was met with a horrifying sight. His son was sprawled out on the floor, sitting in a puddle of his own blood. His right shoulder and left thigh were pouring blood in an endless stream over the stone. His screaming continued. Then he noticed the circle. It was, without a doubt, a Human Transmutation circle. In the center was a black being, writhing and spilling even more blood. Edward had tried to resurrect Trisha.

Suddenly, Edward's screaming became cries and whimpers, and he was crying out to himself.

"This wasn't supposed to happen! Mom! MOM! I'M SORRY!" His child's screams shattered Hohenheim's heart. He went over to Edward, and tore his own shirt. He quickly transmuted them into bandages, and wrapped the wounds as fast as he could. With each layer of bandage applied, Edward flinched and bit back another scream. As soon as he was done with the wounds, he lifted Edward up, one hand on his back, the other under his remaining leg.

"Dad…?" Edward asked in a weak voice, his eyes hazy from pain.

"I'm here, Ed. Hold on." He spoke to the weak boy in his arms. He raced up the stairs, out of the house, and over to the Rockbell residence. He knocked on the door the best that he could with the burden in his arms. When the door opened, he was met with the horrified face of Pinako. She quickly ushered them in, and told him to wait outside of the patient's area. So wait he did. He waited, head in his hands. Then, the front door opening got his attention. His other son, Alphonse, staggered into the home, a confused look on his face.

"Dad, what's going on? Where's Brother?" For once, Hohenheim was not sure how to answer.

 **A/N: WOW this is the longest single piece I've ever written. Fear not! I will continue this! This will either be a two or three-shot. I haven't decided yet. Well, Fav, Follow, Review?**

 **Until Next Time,**

 **~HaganeNoWriter**


End file.
